Collapsible tube closure



FebQ?, 1939. J. DIECKMANN l15T/n` 2,146,423

' COLLAPSIBL'TUBE cLosURE Filed Aug. 25, 1958 Mm w' ff i5 ATTORNEYPatented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURE Application August 25, 1938, Serial No. 226,736

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in collapsible tubes, particularlyto a method of closing the filler ends of the same, as for instancedisclosed in our Patent No. 2,094,877 issued O'ctober 5, 1937,particularly used for the closing of tubes used for packing of foodpreparations of a delicate nature, as for instance caviar and an- 'chovypaste, the taste and salubrity of which is easily destroyed or injuredwhen the tube closure is not effected in an eflicient and thoroughlyhygienic manner.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide in vaddition tothe closing of the tube by either cold or hot solder as described andclaimed in our above identified patent, a method of closing the fillerend of the tubes by folding or crimping the walls of the tube, and/or bymeans of suitable clips or the like and then soldering the folded,crimped or clipped ends.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a tube closure Welladapted for the closure of open and also of closed tubes.

Still another object of our invention is the provision of a tube'closure by the insertion of a very thin or iine wire held between thecompressed ends of the filler tube end by hydraulic or other pressureand by soldering, folding, crimping or clipping the tube end.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a paste tubeclosure which is durable and highly eicient as well as sanitary in everyrespect.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a paste tubeclosure, the folding, crimping, clipping and soldering of which may beeffected by any suitable apparatus to provide an efcient and lastingclosure.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will become morefully known as the description thereof proceeds, and will then bespecifically delined in the appended claims.

In the .accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is an elevation of a tube having its cornpressed, and folded endinserted in a solder bath.

Fig. 2 illustrates the crimped and soldered end of the tube.

Fig. 3 showsthe attachment of a clip holding the tube ,ends together andsoldered thereto.

Fig. 4 shows a Wire insert,

As illustrated, the collapsible tube I Il comprises vthe usual cap IIfor closing the discharge end thereof. The filler end walls I2 aretightly compressed and then folded, as at I3, and then soladered in asuitable bath. Or, the tube end is crimped, as at I4, and then soldered,as at I5. As shown in Figure 3 a suitable clip may be attached to closethe folded or unfolded tube end, as at I6, which is then soldered to thetube end. As shown in Figure 4 a thin wire I1 is inserted between theend walls and is then intimately held in place by hydraulic or otherpressure whereupon the application of a suitable solder will effect aperfect closure of the tube.

It will be clear that the inner walls of the tube before theircompression and soldering, or folding, crimping and clipping and thensoldering, must be scrupulously cleaned, and that the folding, crimping,clipping and wire insertion can be effected by any suitable apparatus inorder to produce a perfectly sanitary and secure closure of the fillerend of a tube.

Our method therefor consists in first cleaning and compressing thefiller end walls, then fold- 20 ing or crimping the same, or attaching aclip and then soldering the folded, crimped or clipped tube end, and/orinserting a Wire of suitable material and preferably very thin betweenthe tube ends and uniting the same by strong pressure and 25 solder. Wemay use this method of closing co1- lapsible tubes for tubes which areeither open or which have been previously closed by any of the methodsused for this purpose.

It will be understood that we have described 30 and shown the preferredform or ways of practically carrying out our invention as a few examplesof the many possible ways to practically embody our invention, and thatwe may make such changes in the construction in general and in the 35individual steps as come within the scope of the appended claims withoutdeparture from the spirit of our invention and the principle involved.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as` new and desire tosecure by Letters Pat- 40 ent, is:

l. A method of closing collapsible tubes consisting in inserting a lightwire between the end walls of the tubes filler eiid and compressing saidend walls to embed the wire firmly between the 5 same, and nallysoldering.

2. As an article of manufacture a collapsible tube comprising a thinwire insertion 'between the 'compressed ller end walls of the tube and asolder closure.

50 JOHN DIECKMANN.

EDNA W. DIECKMANN. HERBERT LODDE,

